


OutlawQueen oneshots

by EvilRegalOutlaw (youfixedmybrokenwings)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Dimples Queen, F/M, Oneshot, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, Regal Believer, the merry men - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-28 21:25:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6345934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youfixedmybrokenwings/pseuds/EvilRegalOutlaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>OutlawQueen oneshots and half-baked ideas, basically. Prompts are open for continuations in any of these universes or new ideas.<br/>Also on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/15506229-outlawqueen-oneshots</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trauma AU

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is. I can't even think of a title.

It was just meant to be a few hours' work, double checking the chemical components of the company's new technology were fully functional and safe, but the universe seemed to have it out for head researcher Regina Mills. She didn't usually work Saturdays, wanting to dedicate as much time as she could to her ten-year-old boy who didn't have nearly as many friends as she'd hoped he would, but when her boss called her up with the promise of double pay for the overtime and/or a favour she could call in whenever, she couldn't really decline. Not when most of her colleagues had planned outings for the Valentine's Day weekend and the board briefing was Monday. What she hadn't counted on was the slight modification the newest, most inexperienced member of her team had made to the formula last night. Regina herself hadn't overseen this: she'd long gone to pick Henry up from school, but her deputy should have verified it.

Regina didn't have a chance to think any more than that before she opened the beaker and it blew up in her face.

***

Trauma doctor Robin Locksley had barely gotten into a clean pair of scrubs after the last operation when his pager beeped yet again. Incoming helicopter in four minutes. Cursing under his breath, he turned on his heel and found another pair of gloves before riding up in the elevator. His partner, John, met him a floor or two up; the two men shared a grimace at how long the night had been but otherwise were silent until the helicopter touched down and they were yelling to be heard over the engine.

"Regina Mills, Latina female, thirty-three. Chemical burns on her face, chest and hands..."

Robin mentally catalogued the name, age and symptoms as he'd taught himself over the last ten years of training and they pushed the stretcher into the top-floor trauma bay for exactly this purpose. Other than the burns, which would have to be cooled and treated before anything else, and some tremors in her hands and brain activity that would indicate a high level of stress, the woman was stable. Robin and John worked silently to minimise the damage to her face, upper part of her torso and hands, needing little communication apart from occasional calls for equipment just out of reach.

They were ready to fall asleep on the spot when they'd finally done everything they could. She had been incredibly lucky. The ambulance must have reached her very quickly for the burn hadn't yet reached the bottom layers of the epidermis; he'd have to do some follow up checks on the exact chemicals that had been spilled on her but he was sure that, give or take the severity of the scarring, she'd recover. Her face and chest were covered in bandages, as were her hands, leaving only space enough for her to see and breathe. Her lab goggles had protected her eyes so he predicted minimal repercussions in that area.

He and John were wheeling her out of the elevator and into a private room when a voice piped up.

"Excuse me?" He turned to see a boy, maybe about ten but tall for his age, clutching a book to his chest. "Can I see my mom now?"

"Your...oh. John, you can go. And don't go to the pub: get some sleep. We all know what happened last time." John nodded and trudged off towards the lockers. Robin turned back to the boy, who had a worried but determined look on his face. Not unlike his own boy when he thought his father was spending too much time at work.

"They said I could see her when she was out of surgery and told me to wait here. She's out of surgery, isn't she?"

"Yes. What's your name?"

"Henry Mills. I'm her son."

"I believe you, Henry. Go on in but be quiet, as visiting time ends soon. Is there a father you can call to pick you up?"

"No." The promptness and urgency of the negative stirred some concern in the doctor's exhaustion-addled brain.

"All right then: an aunt? Uncle? Grandparents? An older sibling?"

"Grandpa's got a heart condition." He offered no other alternatives so the only assumption to make was that there were none. Robin breathed out slowly. He didn't want to turn the boy over to Social Services, but if he had no other relatives than the mother currently still under the effects of anaesthetic, there might not be a choice.

He heard the heart monitor suddenly pick up pace a little through the door left ajar, and Robin immediately jumped into post-op checks. These could really be done by a nurse, but he was there anyway so he may as well. Henry followed him in and watched as he wrote everything on the clipboard by the bed.

"Henry?" Regina's voice called first, not for her location but for her son, her bandaged hand reaching out though her eyes were still closed.

"Mom, I'm here." Henry took her hand gently and sat on the bed where she would be able to see him when her eyes decided to open. "You're in hospital, you were badly burned but you're going to be fine." He looked to Robin for confirmation, who nodded and started to back out of the room to give them some space.

Regina's eyes opened then, falling first on Henry and giving him a relieved smile, her hand moving to clumsily, but tenderly, cup his cheek. They made a touching picture, mother and son, and instantly Robin got a distinct sense of them being each other's entire worlds. Her gaze shifted to him as he stood in the doorway.

"Nurse, please could you find the doctor?" She grimaced with the effort of taking in enough breath to utter a sentence and moving the muscles in her face. She was doped up on so much morphine for the incisions he'd had to make to remove some parts of the damaged skin and the pain for the burns themselves, he wasn't surprised.

"Are you feeling any intense pain anywhere? Other than the burns?"

"No. I wanted to thank him."

"Then I shall pass that message on for you, Ma'am." What possessed him not to tell her that he was the doctor, he didn't know. "Now, Henry, I'm afraid it's time to go. If anyone finds you here they will kick you out."

"Ok. Mom, I've got to go but I'll be back in the morning, OK?"

"I love you, Henry."

"I love you too." Henry dropped a kiss onto her temple and walked out, sending her a look just before the door was shut behind him.

"Now, my boy, we've got to find out where you can go."

"I'll go home." He said it like it wasn't an issue. "I have enough money for the bus, and my own key."

"No 'sir', it's just Doctor here. Or Robin when I'm off the clock, which I should have been over an hour ago." Robin looked at his watch. He was already late for lunch with Roland, after he'd promised faithfully he'd get off in time.

"Look, Henry. I have a boy too, five years old. It's a big difference when you're that age but to me, you're still a child. Very bright and independent, but a child nonetheless. I don't doubt that your mother knows what she's doing but as she is currently unable to get to you if anything should happen..."

"It won't."

"If anything does, that'd be two of you in the hospital. I'd much rather you came home with me: then we could both be certain you're safe. Of course I will ask her: if she says no I'm afraid it's Social Services."

"Then let's go." As soon as the door had opened Henry launched straight into the pitch while Regina looked confused and Robin ran a hand through his hair. He was absent-mindedly aware that he desperately needed a shower when a pair of deep brown and one of bright blue eyes were turned on him.

"Ms. Mills, I have no doubt that your son is an incredibly trustworthy boy. It's others I don't trust, so I was thinking I could put him up until you find another arrangement. I have a spare room and he'd be no bother."

She looked very much like she'd rather say no but he could see the moment that the truth of others' untrustworthiness won over her fierce protection of her son's independence.

"I'll pay you back whatever it costs you." She was struggling to speak, so he cut her off.

"Absolutely not. Now, we should get out of here before Henry's kicked out and I fall asleep where I stand. Good day, Ms. Mills..."

"I prefer Regina."

"Good day, Regina."

"Bye, Mom. I'll be back later today, or tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Henry."

***

After they'd reluctantly disturbed Regina once more for a signature Robin drove Henry out of the car park and in the direction of his house. The boy was silent, still clutching his book tight to his chest and staring straight ahead. Robin pulled into the small cottage on the outskirts and was met with the sight of a very despondent-looking Roland sitting on the step.

"Roland, my boy."

"You promised."

"I know I did. I will make it up to you..."

"That's what you said last time."

Robin sighed. He was too tired for this but Roland, being the energetic five-year-old he was, wouldn't let him sleep until he'd put him to bed. Roland pushed open the door and went inside; his father turned to see Henry shuffling his feet awkwardly beside the car.

"Come on in, Henry. Roland's annoyed I spend too much time at work. Ah: Tuck, I'd like you to meet Henry. Henry, this is Tuck, a good friend of mine."

"Nice firm handshake you got there, lad," the older, burly man commented. Henry just nodded shyly. "I'd best be going. Roland's in his room."

"Right. Lunchtime. Then I need to go to bed for a few hours."

"How long were you at work today?" It was the longest sentence Henry had spoken since leaving the hospital.

"Nineteen hours by the time we left. Which is absolutely not your mother's fault, but I am fairly knackered. Do you think you could entertain Roland for a bit while I take a power nap after lunch?"

"I'm not too good with kids. Or people in general."

"I'm sure that's not true. Roland! Lunchtime!"

Lunch was a slightly awkward affair. Roland was both in awe of the sixth grader sitting opposite him and still annoyed at his father; Robin's eyes were starting to close on their own and Henry was nervous about his mother and being with these new people for goodness only knew how long, so conversation wasn't exactly forthcoming. Afterwards, Henry started to help Roland clear up without any hesitation whatsoever. Somewhat relieved, he knelt to tell Roland not to disturb him for a few hours then went off to bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

***

When the kitchen was clean and tidy, Henry resisted the urge to curl up with his book on the comfy-looking armchair in the sitting room down the hall in order to properly introduce himself to Roland. The boy was sad, and Henry remembered all too well how it felt to not have a friend to talk to so he sat down beside where he was playing absentmindedly with the tabby cat.

"Hey there." Roland jumped, clutching the cat to his chest. "What's her name?"

"Tabitha Twitchet."

"Because she's a tabby?"

Roland nodded rapidly, his abundant curls bouncing over his eyes. Big doe-eyes looked up at the older boy, awe and a little fear obvious in the expression.

"You like Beatrix Potter, then?" Henry asked casually, reaching out to fondle the cat's ears.

"Yeah. She's my favourite. I'm starting to read big boys' books now though! Like Enid Blyton!"

"I love Enid Blyton," he agreed, thankful for that mutual interest. "Which ones have you read so far?"

"Daddy's reading me Brownie Tales at the moment."

"Hop, Skip and Jump on their journey to find their goodness and rescue the princess? I remember that one!"

"It's quite long though."

"Would you like me to read some to you?"

"You probably have big boy things to do." Roland buried his face in Tabitha's fur.

"Nope. I have all afternoon to spend with you." In truth, he was hoping they'd drop by his house and pick up some clothes before night fell. If push came to shove he could borrow something for the night but after that would be pushing it. "And Tabitha, of course." The cat nestled her head into his palm at the mention of her name.

"Ok. It's in my room." Hopping up, Roland waddled to the stairs on little legs that tried to go too fast for his body, resulting in a couple of almost slips, then crawled up on hands and knees. His determination was really rather cute, though Henry had never really had much time for children, especially those as young as Roland. But when the younger boy started building a pillow fort on the bed with Green Arrow comic book panels on the duvet, Henry found himself falling to the task with enthusiasm until they were both cozily wrapped up with a pile of tattered Beatrix Potters within reach.

As he read, Roland rested his head on Henry's shoulder to look at the pictures, asking some really rather insightful questions that spun off into all sorts of conversations. They covered the funny phrases old-fashioned people used; the reason some of the typing was wrong (these copies had been type-written as opposed to on a computer, so there were some discrepancies in the letters. Henry was impressed that they were still in such good condition); the differences between a typewriter, printing press and computer; whether the stories were true stories told to Miss Potter by her woodland friends.

"I don't know why you're here," Roland mumbled eventually, recovering from the spontaneous tickle fight he'd initiated five minutes ago, "but I'm glad you are."

The older boy hastily swiped away a tear that he covered up as dust in his eye. No one aside from Regina had expressed gladness that he was with them. Not even his English teacher: she left him to himself as a rule, knowing he worked better on his own, but sometimes some recognition would be nice.

"You boys all right?" They both sat up to see Robin in the doorway, in different clothes and looking much more refreshed having just come out the shower.

"Henry's been reading to me! He told me that they used something called a typewriter to write these!" He struggled a little with the long word but looked so happy when he got it out correctly that Henry found himself smiling from ear to ear.

"Is that so?" Robin winked at Henry, and he somehow knew that he'd told his son that many times before. "Now, I thought we might drive over to Henry's house and pick up some clothes so he doesn't have to borrow your pyjamas."

"My pyjamas are really comfy!"

"But they're Roland-sized, not Henry-sized."

"Oh. Yeah."

"Do you have your key?"

"You have a key of your own?" Roland looked so impressed it was almost comical.

"Yes. It's just me and Mom, and she works long hours just like your Daddy, so I have a key so I can let myself in after school."

"I wish I had a Mommy."

"Right, let's go before it gets dark."

When they rolled up to the spacious house, Roland's jaw was on the floor and Robin wasn't doing much better. Henry, used to it, hopped out, unlocked the house and disabled the alarm, then invited them in.

"You're like a prince in a castle!"

"Roland..."

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Gosh, no. Thank you, though."

"Can I see your room?" He almost missed the little hopeful voice.

"Of course." Henry took the boy's hand and helped him up the curving staircase, Robin following close behind. He dragged the suitcase out from under the bed and started throwing clothes and books in, remembering his uniform and school bag, ducking into the bathroom across the hall for his wash bag and digging out another pair of pyjamas. All the while Roland pottered about, running fervent hands over the posters of film kings, queens and fairies on the walls, and the little nightlight in the shape of a glass ball.

"Roland, don't get your sticky paw prints everywhere."

"My hands are clean!"

"It's ok. I think I've got everything."

"It could only be for a few days."

"I'd rather be prepared."

"Right. You ready?"

Henry nodded and hoisted his bags over his shoulders, refusing Robin's offers of help.

Supper was much lighter than lunch was, and Henry went to bed with a rather good feeling, despite the worry that constantly gnawed at him.

As promised the previous evening, Robin took Henry and Roland into the hospital before his shift started so Henry could see Regina. Tuck would pick Roland up from there, and Henry if he really wanted to go to the children's play park.

Regina was being tended to by a nurse when Robin glanced through the window panel of the door; the bandages were being changed and he quickly held the boys back so they didn't open the door and have to see the damaged skin beneath the white gauze. She was bearing it with a regal determination and posture, even lying down, but Robin recognised the look in her eyes as she looked down at her hands. The look of one who knew they'd never quite be the same as they were before the accident that had them admitted to Storybrooke Trauma Hospital filled her expression. He could almost see the mask come down when the nurse nodded at him through the window and he pushed it open.

"She's stable and the wounds are healing well, Doctor Locksley. She's in a lot of pain though."

"That's to be expected. I'm honestly impressed by how lucky she was."

Meanwhile, Henry had rushed forward to carefully embrace his mother while Roland hung onto Robin's hand, hiding behind his leg. He'd only been into a hospital a couple of times, and one of those was the result of Robin turning his back at just the wrong moment while Roland was climbing trees. (His arm wasn't broken but had still had to be in a sling for a week.)

"Good morning, Regina." He saw the flicker of recognition in her eyes and the slight upturn of the full mouth that told him she remembered their exchanges yesterday as well as he did. "How are you feeling?"

He could well imagine the eyebrow she would have raised if it hadn't hurt so much to do so. Henry shook his head, probably all too aware of the stubbornness he so clearly got from her.

"This is Roland, my son. Come on Roland, don't be shy."

Roland had his thumb in his mouth and the slightly scared look he was giving Regina made his heart sink a little. He was only five, and out of context she would look rather like an Egyptian mummy, but he saw that she saw the look in the boy's eyes.

"Roland, tell my mom what books you're reading at the moment," Henry offered, patting the bed beside him. Roland shook his head so Robin picked him up.

"Doctor Locksley? Tuck is here."

"Thank you. Henry, Tuck's here if you'd like to go with him and Roland."

Henry looked towards Regina for approval, and she nodded.

"Go and have fun. I don't want you to hole yourself up in here for me."

"I'll see you later."

Henry took over Roland and held his hand as they went down to the front desk, where Tuck was waiting to look after them while Robin was on shift.

"I'm sorry about Roland, he's hardly ever been in a hospital."

"It's all right."

"I can see that it's not, I'm afraid. I'm well-versed in these kinds of cases, Regina. I must say though, you've brought your boy up well. He hasn't been a squeak of trouble."

"I have a feeling that he and Roland might get up to some mischief together."

"Hopefully by then you'll be better and you can help me rein them in."

A small flicker of something flashed in her eyes before the resignation set back in.

"That won't be for a while, though."

"At best, it could be a few weeks for your skin to fully recover. You were remarkably lucky."

"Quick reactions, plus holding beakers away from me while opening them has become a habit." She heaved a heavy sigh and winced. "It wasn't supposed to be flammable in air. That one small change...I didn't even see what she did and now my boss won't have anything to present to the board tomorrow..."

"Hey, hey hey hey. All that matters right now is you getting back to full health. That's my priority; your job, dare I say it, can wait."

"No it can't."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I've got to go get my scrubs on but I'll be in to check on you presently."

Regina nodded, all she could manage with the bandages restricting her head movement.

***

Over the next week or so the four of them fell into a routine. Robin would drop the boys off at school then go in for his shift; if it started later he'd do the food shopping or some other necessary job, or tinker round the house. Regina had barely any complications compared to some of his other patients so he always checked in briefly when he got in and at patients' lunchtime, or as soon after if he was in surgery. Sometimes he'd be rushed off his feet and wouldn't get a chance to see her until the boys came in off the school bus; he found that those days became the hardest, when he couldn't see the quirk of her lip and the invisible, but oh so expressive, raised eyebrow beneath her bandages. She became a calm port in a constantly stormy hospital, the only real complication being her mental state. She was worried about her job, about Henry naturally, about whether the house was safe, but she seemed to worry far too much for knowing that at least two out of those three didn't need any worrying about. She also had nightmares but wouldn't tell anyone about them. Robin was also concerned that the burns would cause permanent scarring, and she was clearly concerned about this too for she would always look down at her hands and torso while her dressings were being changed, running a critical eye over the damaged skin.

They found themselves talking, about their sons mostly, but about their other family members too. Robin didn't have any he could remember, so he told her about Tuck and John and the rest of his group of friends; she told him about her half-sister whom she'd had to get a restraining order against when she'd gotten a bit too obsessed with Regina's happiness, or rather, the destroying of it. She also told him, through a couple of tears, about her heartbreak when her fiancé had died just a few weeks before she met six-month-old Henry ten years ago.

Her hands were the quickest to heal, having been protected by gloves and being away from the initial trajectory of the chemical explosion, and he didn't question her when she asked for him to take the dressings off while they were alone. He'd seen it a thousand times over but if anything, this time hurt a little more as such a strong woman crumbled right in front of him as inch after inch of scarred skin was revealed. She ran a tentative thumb over her wrist, making him think there had been other scars there before the chemicals burned them away, a tear falling and being soaked up quickly by the dressings covering her cheek. He noticed though, and put a hand on her shoulder where he knew there were no burns, squeezing lightly to offer her some small comfort. To his surprise, she turned her body into him and let her tears flow. They soaked through his scrubs but he held her close, letting her vent all the emotion she needed to. This usually happened on a family member's shoulder, usually a partner or parent, but she had no one except her son, who was currently at school.

And so Robin stayed with her until his pager went off, only going once she knew he would be back as soon as he possibly could. Robin was good at compartmentalising but this time it took some extra effort in the elevator down to the ambulance bay. It was a child this time, always difficult, but they saved him and once again Robin remembered why he endured the long hours and time away from his son and the pushy relatives who demanded to know exactly what was going on and when and how old he was, exactly. Roland came rushing through the doors at just that moment, right into his arms. Henry wasn't far behind him with a stack of books from the library, and both had such wide smiles on their faces he wished he could see Regina smile, just once, before she left the hospital.

At the weekends, when he wasn't working, he'd take the boys to the park or to the bookstore, where the two of them would browse for hours on the beanbags, Henry helping Roland read out loud and decide on a book to get a classmate for a birthday. Robin would look round the other sections for something to occupy Regina in her convalescence, the sight of the two boys bonding in the children's section warming his heart. Little Roland wasn't hated at school but he was still lonely. Having another boy to talk with in the corridors would surely do him some good. Henry was always worried about his mother but he hid it remarkably well, and rebuffed any attempt to talk about it. Whenever they visited her he would sit on the bed beside her, hold her hand and not really say much. When the bandages were taken off them he visibly started at the sight of the skin, and it was clear the reaction cut Regina to the bone though she hid it like any strong mother.

Regina herself lay in bed, counting down the minutes until the door opened and either Robin, Henry or a food tray appeared. Nowadays, Henry almost always came with Roland, and while the tiny child was adorably enthusiastic whenever Henry briefly brought him out of his shell, she sometimes wished she could just talk to her son. They were the only ones who visited her, though she wasn't sorry her perverted boss didn't visit she thought at least a few of her lab team might drop by in the first few days. They were probably sorting out the palaver the explosion had caused but when they hadn't visited in a week she gave up hoping.

***

She woke one night two weeks after her admittance with a throbbing head, bandages damp under her eyes and a worried face hovering above her. Robin's blue eyes bore into hers even in the dark, his hands still on her shoulders from shaking her awake, the concern radiating off him and making her breath hitch uncomfortably in her throat. The silence was deafening, tension and unspoken conversations thick in the air between them.

"Regina." The sound of her name on his lips, the only name he'd ever called her since she'd rebuffed his attempts at being formal, somehow felt different, and suddenly the tears were spilling over, into the already damp gauze. Robin's arms snaked round her shoulders, pulling her into his chest as she cried, just as he had when her hands had first been revealed. He rocked her gently, making sure not to aggravate the upper part of her torso. Her hands grabbed uselessly at his scrubs, eventually whacking his chest in frustration.

"I hate this!"

"I know, I know."

"I just want to get out of here, live my life. Be with my son! He's all I have," she ended on a hiccup.

"Regina. Regina, look at me." Unwillingly, she moved her head off his chest and looked him in the eye. They were the colour of Roland's favourite chocolate, warm even while swimming with tears. He ran a gentle thumb under the undamaged skin around her eye to wipe away a tear. He heard rather than saw her swallow.

"I don't care what's under these bandages and I'm sure Henry doesn't either. They're just...an outward manifestation of what you've been through. They don't lessen you as a person. You make my day brighter when I just walk in here to check your vitals," he smiled, holding one hand gently in his. Regina smiled a watery smile back.

***

Something changed that day. Maybe it was just the way she looked at him, or the way they seemed to be able to communicate without words, or the way she'd run her scarred fingers over the tattoo on his forearm. Henry seemed to notice; Roland still just sat on the bed and stared at Regina around his monkey toy.

The day her head bandages finally came off, Robin was sure she had him under her spell. The hair that had been damaged had started to grow back, and what hadn't was a beautiful thick, lustrous black, maybe in need of a wash but beautiful all the same.

She was discharged a week later. People in the waiting room stared as she went past, but she rose above it with her head held high, stopping at the desk for her prescription cream. She hugged him at the door as a thank you, then knelt before Roland.

"Thank you for taking care of Henry for me," she smiled at the young boy, who resolutely sucked his thumb.

"Roland..."

"You're welcome," he mumbled before staring up at Henry. Regina nodded, stood and walked out of the hospital to her car that Robin had driven round for her that morning.

It was a tortuous few weeks. He kept making to dash off whenever he had a spare moment, before remembering that Regina was recuperating at home and collapsing back onto the chair in the break room. Henry came to see him at the hospital with Roland still, and sometimes Regina came with them for check-ups and to pick up a repeat prescription.

"Can Roland come and stay at mine this weekend?" Henry asked one Friday after a particularly hellish shift. In all honesty, Robin would be glad for the uninterrupted sleep.

"Of course, as long as it's all right with your mother." He looked over Henry's head to see Regina standing there, looking much better.

"I'll take him from here. You go to bed, get some rest. You look exhausted, Robin." She laid a hand on his arm, and he'd just about fallen into her eyes when Henry called out. She turned to see an old man being wheeled in on a stretcher, a paramedic balancing on the structure to give CPR on the move.

"Henry Mills, seventy-one, heart attack."

Robin jumped into action, directing the paramedics into the nearest trauma bay and rushing to save Regina's father's life. This must be the grandpa with the heart condition, he vaguely remembered, but when it had been twelve minutes with no heartbeat, and the nurses and other doctors were almost shouting at him that it was too late, he had to finally call the time of death on Regina's father.

Seeing her face fall when he walked out of that bay was possibly the worst thing that had happened since he'd met her. He walked right up to her, looked her in the eye and shook his head, fighting the tears in his own eyes as she crumbled. He took her in his arms, brought Henry into the mix as well, and did his best to comfort them in their very public and sudden loss.

He was invited to the funeral, and almost didn't go, he felt so guilty. Regina's face had almost healed now and she looked stark, but regal in her black. Henry stood beside her the whole time, and the two mourned together. Robin and Roland watched on, laying flowers on the grave in remembrance of a man they never met, but whom Robin was desperately hoping to before he'd been wheeled into the hospital.

Back at Regina's house there was a spread laid out for everyone. Most of Regina's colleagues had turned up, and Robin had asked Tuck, John and the others to come and pay their respects too. The Merry Men fell to the food with gusto, proclaiming Regina's cooking prowess with every mouthful. At least it brought a smile to her face. Roland sat in the corner of the sofa with his monkey, surveying the room thoughtfully until Regina came to sit next to him.

"Hello Roland. Thank you for coming today."

"It wasn't as fun as my party."

"I know it wasn't, dear, but this wasn't a birthday party."

"Are you never going to see your daddy again?" he asked, suddenly turning to face her with big, sorrowful eyes. Regina swallowed the lump in her throat before saying,

"No, no I'm not."

A single tear spilled over when Roland threw himself into her arms, snuggling his head under her chin.

"I'd hate to never ever see my daddy again."

"Your daddy's going to be around for a long time, Roland."

"He's not going away?"

"No, he's not."

"You can have my monkey," he offered after a pause, thrusting it into her chest.

"Roland, he's your monkey."

"But he helps me sleep at night when Daddy has to work late. Maybe it'll help you sleep now your Daddy's not here."

"Thank you, Roland, that's very thoughtful of you but I'll be fine. You're a growing boy, you need much more sleep than I do." Her gaze caught Robin's over the top of the boy's head and she almost choked at the way he was looking at her. "Now, what's your favourite story in the whole wide world?"

***

After the funeral, Robin stayed to help clear up.

"I'm sorry about them," he told her ruefully as he got down on hands and knees to sweep up the mess under the table. "They eat like horses, with less table manners."

"That's all right. At least it didn't go to waste."

"How are you holding up?" he asked when he straightened, lifting her chin gently with a finger and falling more in love with her than ever. Regina just shrugged.

"I'll be fine, Robin."

"If you need anything, anything at all, call me. OK? The mobile number on this, I've only not got it on me when I'm at the hospital. Landline's practically a waste of time." He handed her a card, the one he'd been plucking up the courage for weeks to give to her. She looked at it for a moment then tucked it away in a pocket with a grateful glance up at him.

"Thank you."

***

She texts him a week later, after a series of calls that were tearful more often than not. Robin almost slipped those three words more than once, but held himself back just in time. It was not a good time to be telling her he loved her, however true it might be.

Meet me on the main street at seven on Saturday night. Wear something nice.

That was all it took to have Robin in a massive fuss, and Roland just stared at him over his book.

"Does Daddy have a big-boy date?"

"Yes, Daddy has a big-boy date but he's got nothing nice to wear." Was it even a date? She just said the main street, but there were a number of restaurants along that particular street in the town, that was the Main Street more by consensus than actual size or importance.

Saturday night rolled around altogether too quickly and too slowly, Henry came over to look after Roland and Robin drove to the wrong end of the street. By the time he'd walked all the way up to where she was waiting for him it was ten past, and there were tears in her eyes.

"Regina! God, Regina, I am so sorry."

"I thought you wouldn't show," she mumbled, worrying the material of her stunning blue dress. It fit her perfectly, accentuating every curve hidden by hideous hospital gowns. Her heels made her a good bit taller, and though she wasn't allowed to wear makeup any more she couldn't have looked more perfect.

"Well, I'm here," he tried, and she smiled, almost sheepishly.

"There's a table booked for quarter past," she told him, holding out her hand for him to take. "And don't even think about paying."

"Ok," he laughed, following her willingly into the little hole-in-the-wall diner he'd never noticed before, though he'd walked this street a thousand times.

It went much better than he'd dared to hope. They laughed about little things, there had been honesty on sore subjects from both of them and she'd even kissed his cheek between courses, he near-empty diner filled with low, ambient light making it the perfect date. She paid, like she'd promised, and he walked her down the street to his car so he could drive her home. Regina put her hand on his where it rested on the gear stick, and he didn't have the heart to let go.

When they pulled up outside her house, neither of them spoke for a long while. Regina studied their interlinked hands, Robin's thumb rubbing circles into her knuckles.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" she asked, bringing up what he'd said near the beginning of the meal.

"Yes," he answered without a shadow of hesitation. "You are beautiful, brave, strong, the calmest patient I've had in a long while..." They both chuckled, then he brought their hands up to his mouth. "Regina, I'm in love with you." Her breath audibly hitched at that revelation, and her eyes searched his for any indication that he was lying. "I probably have been for a long while."

"I...I don't think I can say that yet." Her eyes were so full of apology and uncertainty.

"That's all right."

"Really?"

"Whenever you're ready, I'll be here. I promise."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise," he agreed with a laugh, shaking her pinky finger with his. All of a sudden she'd grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket (brand new for the occasion though he'd never admit that) and crashed her lips to his. She tasted of red wine, lipstick and something unique, and quite honestly he'd never gotten this kind of buzz from alcohol before. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, caressing her skin and kissing her like she deserved to be kissed: tender and passionate. She swiped her tongue over his lower lip and he groaned, kissing her harder.

Unfortunately, air was a necessity so they had to break away eventually, but he rested his forehead against hers as the next best thing.

"Do you want to come inside?" she asked, so quietly he almost missed it.

"Really? After one date?"

Regina shrugged. "Maybe I just want to fall asleep in someone's arms for once." The honesty knocked him for six, like just about everything about her, and he found himself nodding.

When Henry let himself and Roland into the house the next morning and opened the door to Regina's bedroom, he saw them lying curled around each other so tightly it wasn't clear where one ended and the other began, and she had a smile on her face that Henry realised he hadn't seen in a long time: one of true, unadulterated happiness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thing I wrote for OutlawQueen Appreciation Week back in 2014, back when Marian had just come back and the angst was too painful. I decided to put the better of my oneshots on here to keep the activity up while my brain works up another story-worthy idea. For all the oneshots I've posted the Wattpad link is in the summary. Some are better than others...
> 
> Also titles are the worst things to come up with.

Regina woke suddenly in the night, an dull pain deep in her swollen belly. Her hand rested on the nine-month bump protectively, her mind going into overdrive. The baby hadn't been kicking for a few days now and she was starting to get a bit worried. She hadn't let anyone into the secret, apart from Dr. Whale when she first suspected she was pregnant (he had sworn to not tell anyone) and Tink. The fairy had been a godsend, covering for her after about the four-month mark when she really couldn't keep it hidden any longer, fetching anything she needed. The two had become firm friends and Regina had been genuinely happy for her when she started going out with one of the cooks at Granny's, where she was staying when not sleeping over at Regina's. She hadn't even told Henry, for she knew he would eventually tell Emma and by extension the whole town would find out. So she restricted herself to calling him, and doing the mayoral work from home with the wonderful invention of computers and internet.

It had been difficult, keeping herself confined, but she didn't think she could face seeing _him_. Or anyone, for that matter; especially Snow White who would act like a proud mother when she really had no idea how this felt, carrying a married man's illegitimate child.

The pain in her belly subsided fairly quickly, and didn't return for a while so she fell asleep again.

The next day, the pain didn't reappear until about dinnertime, when it was much worse and the pangs returned quicker each time. She was alone that day, as Tink had a date. She'd assured her she'd be fine as the baby wasn't due for a couple of weeks yet, but now she wasn't so sure. Lying against the wall, sobbing with fear, something finally clicked in her pain-addled brain. Dragging herself up, she somehow managed to half-stumble, half-crawl to the front lobby of the hospital before she collapsed. The dark street was empty apart from a nurse seeing another patient off, and he instantly recognised her symptoms. Helping her into the wheelchair he pushed her through, shouting for a birthing room. The pain was so bad now she was crying out, blushing when everyone she passed stared at her. Damn being the mayor at such a time!

Everything whirled around her, vision narrowing, until finally she was lying on the special bed in a hospital gown, gripped some unknown nurses' hands in a vice. Dr. Whale, crouching by the foot of the bed, encouraged her to push; screaming with agony until her voice was raw she finally felt something happen. The surgical lights clicked off, and the sound of a baby crying filled the room. Lying back and hiding her face in her hands, she tried to hold back the tears. Physical pain, emotional pain - she couldn't distinguish which was more prominent at the moment.

"Regina."

Opening her eyes, she saw the most perfect little baby lying in his arms and fell in love instantly, a small, awe filled gasp leaving her dry lips.

"It's a girl, Regina. Congratulations."

As she took her first-born and cradled her against her chest, the tears spilled over. She was beautiful. She had his blue eyes and fair skin, but her dark hair. She was still crying, but Regina thought it was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard because this is what she'd longed for for so long. Maybe not quite like this as the father didn't even know, but she finally had a child to call completely her own, no need of trickery or memory potions to make it feel real.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, inspiration suddenly struck.

"Rosa," she whispered like it were a deep secret, smiling at the baby. As if by magic, she stopped crying and held her little hand out to touch her mother's cheek.

"It's a lovely name." She didn't even look up: she only had eyes for her. "Would you be able to see visitors yet or do you want me to tell her to wait?"

"Her?" Oh God no. It better not be Snow. Or Emma. She couldn't face them right now.

"It's Tinkerbell." Regina let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Ok. She can come in." She wrapped the blanket closer around Rosa as the fairy slipped in, looking so excited Regina thought she might burst.

"Hey." She came over and made to jump on the bed but thought better of it, hopping excitedly from foot to foot instead.

"We saw you collapse outside the hospital and thought this might have been what happened! How are you?"

Regina patted the bed next to her; Tink sat down gently as if afraid of hurting her friend or her baby.

"We?"

"Gary was dropping me off at your house." Regina nodded. Tink had had to tell her boyfriend about her pregnancy so he understood her disappearing for days on end.

"Tired," she admitted truthfully. "I didn't realise just how much labour takes it out of you. And it _hurts_."

"I can imagine. Have you thought of a name?"

"Rosa." She gazed down at her child, now understanding the look Snow had given baby Neal when he'd been born nine months earlier.

"She's lovely. You should be proud."

"You'll be godmother?" she asked hopefully.

"Really?" Her expression grew even more excited, if that was possible.

"You've been such a good friend to me these last few months. I don't know if I'd have gotten through it if you hadn't been there."

"I really want to hug you right now but..." Regina giggled as Tink made a vague gesture towards her. Rosa started crying again, but somehow she knew exactly what to do. Pulling down the neckline of the gown she freed her breast and let her suckle.

"Do you want me to stay here tonight? It's two in the morning."

"I don't want to drag you from Gary..."

"No, that's ok. You've been dragging me away from him for two months now, I think he gets it. How are you going to keep this a secret?" 

"She's here now, it's going to be hard to keep it quiet. Could you stay? I'm scared, Tink. I'm scared of... what everyone will say." Tink didn't need her to explain who she meant by 'everyone'.

"Look, you get some rest, we'll talk this over tomorrow." Dr. Whale walked in then, timing perfect as always.

"I don't want to let go of her."

"How are you feeling?"

"It still hurts like hell."

"That's normal. The pain should subside in a couple days. You both need some sleep, she'll be right here when you wake up."

She pressed her lips to Rosa's forehead and reluctantly handed her to the doctor. He placed her gently in the cot, making sure she was in Regina's line of sight.

Tink curled up in the chair; Regina lay down and fell asleep with her eyes on her little girl.

***

The next day, she was inundated with flowers and cards. Her eyes welled up as she opened each one, her annoyance at the news having been spread so quickly drowned out by the realisation that they no longer saw her as the Evil Queen, but as Regina. Emma, Henry and Killian came to see her, Snow and Charming with baby Neal, Ruby, Granny, and even Jefferson dropped in with his daughter on the way to school.

To her utter relief, no one asked the touchy question, Emma being particularly careful of what she said to her. Her flowers had a second note hidden in the blooms, apologising for what she'd done, and it had been so sincere Regina found it in her heart to forgive her, even pull her into a tentative hug.

Eventually the room got so crowded Rosa got upset, and Tink ushered everyone out so Regina could feed her. She went with them, pleading the bathroom.

When they were gone, Regina's doubts came flooding back. She loved her child, with all her heart, but she was scared. She wanted to build a life with Robin but he already had one with someone else, and it cut her up every time she looked into her daughter's eyes and saw his. And she was afraid she'd end up being as bad a mother as her own was, and that frightened her. She hummed a snatch of song, trying to lift her spirits before anyone else came to see her but ultimately failing. Her heart clenched when the door opened a crack and there he was, alone, with a beautiful bunch of wildflowers.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." He averted his eyes awkwardly. "Tink said I could find you here."

"It's ok. Come in." He didn't seem to know where to look. His eyes switched from looking at her, to the baby, to the table groaning under the weight of gifts and flowers, and back to Rosa. A slightly awkward pause fell before he stepped forward suddenly.

"These are for you. Congratulations." His gaze always came back to Rosa.

"Thank you, they're beautiful." She was genuinely grateful, but her pain came through in her voice making it seem like she wasn't.

"I-I should go." He turned to leave, but an impulse made her grab his hand.

"Please, stay." The familiar fire shot through her at the contact. He looked down at their clasped hands, seemed about to pull away and stride out but the internal battle portrayed through those gorgeous blue eyes ended in her favour, and he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I didn't get a chance to say this before but I'm so sorry about Zelena."

"It's...ok, I guess."

Another silence fell as Rosa finished feeding and she pulled the gown back up.

"What's her name?"

"Rosa." He simply nodded, still unsure of what to say. A small pause, during which he gently took the baby's hand, their identical blue eyes meeting. Tears started to prick Regina's eyelids as she watched him. He didn't even know yet and he was already being a father to her.

"She's beautiful." She could only smile through the tears. "She has your mouth."

"And your eyes."

He met her gaze, the unspoken question hanging in the air between them. She nodded, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth.

The penny dropped, and his entire body language changed. His face softened as he shifted closer and pulled her into a gentle hug, being careful not to squash the body between them. She melted into his touch, he always made her feel whole, secure, happy. And her fears of being a bad mother diminished, not completely, but enough, for now.

"I'm so sorry, Regina," he mumbled into her ear.

"Why?"

"This is all my fault." She was rather shocked when she realised he was crying. "I should have been there for you during this whole thing but you had to do it on your own. I promised myself I wouldn't be like every other man who's hurt you and I ended up being the worst of the lot."

"Robin, hey. You had no choice. Your wife was alive, it was the right thing to do to stay with her."

"If only you'd told me." He pulled back, one hand caressing her cheek and the other resting on their baby's head.

"I wasn't totally alone. I had Tinkerbell, she has been an absolute star. Are you ok with her being godmother?"

"Of course. She's been a good friend to me as well, provided an outlet other than drink when things with Marian got rough... Not like that! She's a good listener." His voice dropped. "You know, she didn't tell me about you."

"I know. I know you would never cheat. And I didn't want to tell you because you seemed so happy with your wife. Things were complicated enough." A silence fell, not awkward this time, to her relief.

"I'm not sure if this is the right time to be telling you this, but Marian... she broke it off. She's found someone else. It happened a while ago, I wanted to tell you but I hadn't seen you in months. I wanted you to hear it from me."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It means I can be with you and only you. And I am never leaving you or our baby again." His thumb caressed her cheek, his touch light as a feather but still made her feel wanted. The feeling she'd been craving for decades, then nine horrible months.

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked in a whisper.

"More than anything." She gently put Rosa into his arms, and the baby chuckled happily and reached up to touch his cheek. "She's _perfect_." Reverence showed in every feature. "How do you do it?"

"You did help. She looks more like you than me." Tears were now spilling down both their cheeks as they shared the joy, Robin kissing his daughter with such tenderness it melted her heart.

The door opened and another face peeped round. Roland, complete with the monkey toy she'd given him. He tiptoed across the room, neither of them noticing him until he saw the baby and gasped. He clambered onto the bed and gazed with wonder at the tiny girl as his father held her gently. Roland tickled her cheek, making her gurgle with laughter and wrap her fingers round his.

"Roland, meet your new little sister." Robin let out a sob of happiness as Regina introduced his son to their daughter, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm.

"Yay! I have someone to play with now." He spoke gently to the baby, his simple child's talk meaningless to the grown-ups but Rosa seemed to understand.

"Hey, Robin." Tink slipped in, shutting the door behind her. "They've all gone home, Regina."

Regina breathed a sigh of relief. Tink came to stand by them, looking down on her goddaughter with the same deep, genuine care in her eyes as when she'd told Regina she could help her find her soulmate all those years ago.

"Robin, I think we should let the godmother have a chance," she murmured. He handed the baby over, letting Tink have her moment. The fairy took Rosa and Roland into a corner and distracted them sufficiently to give the couple on the bed some privacy.

Robin shifted closer and placed his hand tentatively on her chest.

"How is it?"

"I'll admit it was so painful I almost ripped it out again."

"But you didn't."

"No." He smiled at her.

"I'm proud of you."

"After I found out I was pregnant I decided to endure it, for the baby. My mother ripped her heart out years before she had me and look how I turned out. Robin, I'm so scared." Her voice was audibly shaking. "I'm scared I'll end up being as bad a parent as my mother was to me. I don't want Rosa to have the life I had."

"But you did it with Henry."

"That's different, somehow." She wondered if she'd ever run out of tears, the amount she'd been crying the past couple of days.

"Regina." His hands moved up to cup her face; his had a pained expression. "It cuts me up to hear you talk about yourself that way. I know no one's really given you any reason to feel good about yourself but I want to change that."

"You did change it. But then..."

"Marian came back. And that was _not_ your fault. I just... I wish I didn't have to try and change the way you see yourself."

"I wish you didn't feel you had to."

"But I do, Regina, my love."

"What... did you just call me?" She felt light-headed, needed to hear them again so she knew she hadn't been dreaming. This was all far too good to be true.

"My love." He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while expertly undoing one of the pouches on his belt with the other hand. Regina couldn't believe her eyes when he brought out a simple ring.

"I've had this since before the curse, I meant to ask you after it was broken but things got a little out of hand. Regina, will you marry me?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, my love, I am. I did mean this to be a little more romantic though." He smiled somewhat wistfully, foiled plans flitting through his eyes.

"Robin, I'm so sorry, but I... I don't think I can, not yet. You know how my first marriage went." She put her hands on his cheeks and lifted his head to look him straight in the eye. "I want to be completely, 100% sure that this'll work."

"I love you." Her heart soared with those three small words but her mind was made up.

"If you still love me in six months' time, ask me again. Is that fair?" He nodded. She leaned forward and kissed him gently, that undeniable spark still there as their lips moved together in an age-old dance of passion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No matter how hard I try I cannot ship Tinkerbell and Neal. Story and character wise I can but I just can't imagine those types of scenes between the two actors they cast? I don't know if that makes sense. The lack of actual scenes between them while he was stranded on Neverland as a boy didn't help. Gary was just a name I plucked out of nowhere. If anyone wants to throw me some AU Tink/Neal prompts to try and get my hand in with writing them, I'd appreciate it!


	3. Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How Lily comes to live in the Land Without Magic. This was written way back when there were theories floating about on Tumblr that Lily was Regina and Robin's daughter.
> 
> For this, Robin knows Regina's in an unhappy marriage because she told him why she couldn't see him anymore (when Leopold came back from whatever trip he and Snow were on in 3x03), but he doesn't know she's the Queen.

Regina woke one morning, her stomach churning, and only just managed to get the chamber pot in time before she threw up, emptying what little there was after the tiny dinner she'd had the night before.

"Your Grace! Are you all right?" Her maid rushed in from her adjoining chamber, shrill voice piercing her eardrums.

"Yes, thank you." She stood up, trying to regain some dignity but her head still swam. "Must have been something I ate."

"Forgive me but you ate very little last night, Your Grace." There was a pause, then Sally gasped and her whole demeanour suddenly changed, from slightly faked concern to excitement.

"Do you think you could be with child? Morning sickness is a common symptom and often the first indication. How long have you been feeling like this?" She went to put her hand on Regina's forehead but she swatted it away, voice taking on the now habitual firmness.

"Only today. I am certain it was something I ate. Is His Majesty up?"

"Yes, he wishes you to join him for breakfast in his presence chamber as soon as you are dressed."

"Thank you. You may go."

"But, your Grace..." Regina sighed, remembering she couldn't make herself look how the king wanted her to without help. She sat down at the dressing table, a wave of the hand telling the maid what to do.

As she was laced into the tight corset and her hair tugged and pulled into a complex style, she thought about what the maid had said. She had been feeling grotty in the mornings lately, but she hadn't thrown up until now. Her courses had been late, and she was sure now that the servants would be gossiping about nothing else.

Just before she dismissed her to go to the King, Regina pulled Sally down to whisper in her ear.

"Don't say a word about this to anyone."

"So, are you?"

"I don't know. I... don't want to raise His Grace's hopes if I am not. Not a word to anyone, do you understand?"

"Yes, your Highness."

"You may go now."

She didn't say anything to Leopold, and she barely saw him over the next few weeks due to matters of state. But every morning she was ill, and her dresses started to get a little tight. When her courses were six weeks late, she was certain but still didn't tell anyone, hoping she was wrong. Eventually Sally spoke up again.

"Your Grace..."

"What?" she snapped. She'd also been a lot crankier; before she'd been kinder to the servants, having had friends among her family's servants but now she had horrible mood swings. Sally lowered her voice so no one outside the room could hear.

"You've been ill a lot and forgive my impudence, but your courses still haven't come." Regina sighed, wishing she didn't have this child growing within her.

"I am certain now."

"When will you tell him?" Her excited tone grated against Regina's ears. _Great for some_ , she thought.

"This morning, at breakfast," she decided, dread already filling her heart. He would treat her more like a doll than he already did, and now she was with child he'd show her off to everyone, especially those who'd been whispering that he was too old.

**********

"Your Grace, I have something to tell you."

"Yes, my love?" Regina was now practically immune to his meaningless terms of endearment but a part of her still wished for them from someone else.

"I am with child." As she has suspected, his face grew possessive, and he put his hands firmly on her stomach, already claiming the child as his though she had a niggling suspicion that she had repeatedly thrown to the back of her mind.

"Well done, dearest! You have proven the treacherous liars wrong and for that I thank you." He kissed her, tongue invading her mouth. She fought not to gag at both the kiss and his words: he didn't really care about the child, Snow would be all he ever needed in that field, but he couldn't be happier that she'd proven people wrong about his impotency.

He announced it the next day, on the grand balcony in front of as many people as could come to hear him on such short notice. He stood, with his arm tightly round her hips, hand on the join between leg and body, as he announced that his 'pride and joy', his bride, was with child. The crowd applauded and cheered - any other reaction would be treason. Some boys wolf-whistled, making Regina blush even more furiously. At least he wouldn't be able to force her to bed until she gave birth.

That night in bed, the doubt came back. Eight weeks ago, Leopold and Snow had been away, on one of their trips. She couldn't even remember where they'd gone. A day or two after they'd left she'd met the stranger, her soulmate, given in to the desire to be loved and let him take her against the dirty wall of an alley. Every night until they returned, she'd gone back to the tavern, revelled in the sensations he gave her and stored them up in her memory for the nights Leopold would force himself on her.

She knew from listening to maids' chatter as a girl that two weeks after courses started was the time that a woman would most easily fall pregnant. (They'd spoken in low voices as the old housekeeper, on Cora's demand, taught her some sewing down in the servants' sitting room but she had keen ears). If her suspicions were correct, there was no doubt about the paternity of her child. It wasn't Leopold's at all, but Robin of Locksley's.

**********

The next night, when she was sure no one would disturb her, she snuck down the servants' stairs and out into the garden. She didn't go to the courtyard with her tree, it was too obvious, but a small clearing in the wildest, least frequented part of the garden where she knew no one else went.

"Tinkerbell?" she called quietly into the still summer's air. "Tinkerbell! I apologise for what I said. You're not a terrible fairy. Look, I...I need your help."

"What can I do for Leopold's Queen?" A different fairy, in a large-skirted blue gown and with brown hair, appeared before her, making Regina jump.

"Who...you're not Tinkerbell."

"No. I am the Blue Fairy, I am, well, I _was_ Tinkerbell's mentor. I'm afraid I had to let her go after multiple breaches of policy."

Regina was shocked. Yes, Tinkerbell had stolen, but her motives were fairy-like, weren't they? Helping those who needed it? She shook it from her head and concentrated on her own problem.

"I need your help."

"I heard. That's why I'm here, your Grace."

"I am with child."

"Congratulations."

"No, I mean. It's not his. Not my husband's, I mean. I am certain it's someone else's."

"Who's do you think? And how can I help?"

"I _know_ it is Robin Locksley's. We met at a tavern in town about two months ago. I need you to do something."

"I can erase your memories of the time you spent together but that spell is too risky if you are with child. I will have to wait until you give birth, in seven months' time if your calculations are correct."

"Please! I don't care! I'd rather die than..."

"If you were to die from this spell there are sorcerers your husband can call on to tell him if it was from magic. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be caught for treason."

"I thought fairies had their own rules?" She was almost sobbing now, the pressure of marriage and queenship weighing her down.

"Every king is different. Some will let us deal with things as we do, but others prefer to charge us by their laws if they see fit. Leopold is one."

"Please," she begged. Seven months was a long time to keep a secret, and if this fairy didn't keep her word...

"I'm sorry. Do you want to keep the child?"

"I don't know. It'll be Leopold's, he'll want to keep it for sure but he so dotes on his daughter that I doubt he will spend much time with it. And I don't know if he will let me spend time with it or not. If I keep it I want to be his or her mother fully, not give it to a wet nurse or nanny."

"I see. I shall let you make that decision: I have a plan if you don't want to keep it."

"What's that?" Regina asked nervously.

"I won't tell you until you've made your mind up. Will you tell the father?"

"I don't know."

"I think you should. Get his advice; give him a chance to keep his child if he wants. Goodbye, Regina. If you need me just call."

"Thank you."

***********

Blue waved her wand and materialised at the flower within which the fairy academy was. Flying into her own little house she locked the door and took a deep breath, clenching her fists to calm herself. It seems she wouldn't be rid of Tinkerbell's influence just yet.

***********

Regina walked into the tavern, holding her cloak around her to hide the now obvious bump despite the warmth of the evening. She saw Robin immediately, drinking with his men as usual.

As soon as he saw her, he rose with a smile and kissed her hand.

"It's so lovely to see you again, Lily."

"Can I talk with you?"

"Of course." He glanced down, obviously seeing what she'd tried so hard to hide.

"In private."

He held her hand and pushed through the throng of people until they were outside and in the secluded alley where they'd made love three months before.

"I'm with child."

"It's more than that. I can tell. What is it, darling?" he asked, concern in his voice as he caressed her cheek. She melted into his touch, just like the first time he'd called her darling. She liked his endearments because she somehow just knew that he meant them. And she missed hearing the name Lily on his lips - while it wasn't her real name he said it with such reverence she wished it were.

"It's yours." His face fell like a stone and he froze.

"Lily, I am so sorry..."

"It's ok."

"No it's not. Does your husband know?"

"No. He knows I'm expecting, clearly, but he thinks it's his."

"How long?"

"Three months. He insisted I see the midwife yesterday. I don't know what to do!"

"In what sense?"

"I don't know if I want to keep it. He'll probably make me get a wet nurse but if I keep it I want to be its mother. Fully, not just in name."

"Say that to him then."

"It's not that simple, Robin."

"If you don't want to keep it, give it to me. I'll take care of him or her and make sure he or she knows what a beautiful woman their mother was."

"You can't. If I don't keep it I can't know my child at all. It'll have to be like it died for one or other of us. I'm sorry, Robin."

"No. None of this is your fault. I was the one to put you in this position and I will help you as far as you need."

"I was the one to approach you that night."

"I was the one to ask you to make love. If I hadn't you wouldn't be here now. And while I love seeing you I wish it were under different circumstances."

Regina could only nod, trying to hold the tears and stop her bottom lip quivering.

"Every child should have a mother, I just don't know if I'm fit for it."

"You will be, I have faith in you."

"I didn't have the best role model, Robin."

"Don't compare yourself to your mother. Be your own woman, Lily."

"I only wish I could. I've got to go, someone will miss me if I don't get back."

Robin nodded. "What will you do about the child?"

"I don't know yet. I've another six months to decide."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"It's too risky. I'm sorry."

"I am too. I wish I hadn't caused you this pain. Goodbye."

"Wait! Can I kiss you just once more? I need something to keep me sane in this farce of a marriage."

He smiled sadly then leaned down and captured her lips, the wonderful sensations flooding through her again. The connection was undeniable; they forgot why they were there as the kiss almost got too heated. Once again she ended up against the wall, his hands on her waist and hers in his hair, though they were unable to move closer due to her belly.

"Robin, we can't."

"I know." He stepped back, hand stroking her cheek one last time. "Goodbye, Lily. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered as he turned and walked back to the tavern, head bowed.

***********

She woke just before midnight, her body feeling like it was being torn in two with the cramps, screaming in pain. The midwife was there in a flash, holding her hand, gently pressing her swollen stomach.

"It's coming, your Grace! Just keep pushing, you're doing wonderfully." She bustled about, fetching towels, warm water, cloths to wrap the baby in as the cramps continued to shoot through Regina's body.

Hours later, the baby was finally born. A loud wail filled the air as she collapsed back onto the pillow, breathing hard.

"It's a girl, your Grace." The midwife was genuinely happy, but Regina knew she'd be seen to have failed the King for not giving him a son. As the baby was wrapped in cloths and placed into her arms, even as she pressed her lips to her forehead, she knew she couldn't keep her. She wouldn't be appreciated, and she would likely be forced into a marriage much like her own in order to advance the kingdom. In her heart of hearts she couldn't do that to her child, and she knew she'd have no say in the matter.

"She's beautiful. What will you call her?"

"I don't know. I shall ask the King's advice." She didn't tell her about the baby blanket she'd painstakingly made with a name embroidered on the hood.

"You need to rest. I shan't let him in for a couple of days, you need some time to recover and bond with her. Goodnight."

"Thank you."

She waited until snores were coming from the pallet bed by the door before whispering Blue's name.

The fairy appeared instantly, took one look at the situation and floated by Regina's head instead of making herself human-sized.

"I can't keep her. I don't want her to go through what I did. There's a baby blanket in the wardrobe with her name on. Take her. Make sure she is somewhere they won't force her to marry against her will... Send her to another land. Erase my memories so she was Leopold's, but died. And," she forced back the sob that arose in her already raw throat. "erase Robin of Locksley's memories so he never knew she was his. I don't want him to have that pain."

"Very well, your Grace." She waved her wand, and suddenly Regina was alone in the darkness, and the baby in her arms had stopped kicking.

***********

"She's dead."

Regina nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks and soaking the pillow. She'd always wanted a little girl, but now she knew she didn't deserve anything that made her happy. And Leopold would be angry, so angry, even though it was only a girl.

"I am so sorry, Your Majesty."

She didn't answer.

"Do you want me to tell the King? Or do you want to?"

"I can't." She just managed the words before more tears spilled over, the nursery she'd helped design floating across her mind's eye, before full of hope, now doomed to be empty forever. Or at least, not as soon as she'd hoped.

The midwife nodded before shutting the door, taking the body with her and leaving the Queen to her grief.

***********

As Blue flew away from the royal castle with the tiny baby in her arms, she thought about what she could do. She could give the baby to her father, for she'd seen their conversation in the alley and knew he'd take care of her. Or she could send it far away, where Regina would never see her so would never have that feeling of something not being right as so often happened with erased memories. She'd fetched the baby blanket, the name embroidered in red standing out against the olive skin and thin dark hair, and the sentimentality of it almost made her ill.

Eventually she decided it would be best for the child to be sent to another world, where the customs were completely different and there was no chance of an arranged marriage. As much as she hated the knock-on effects of Tinkerbell's foolishness she had to obey the Queen, even if she no longer remembered the orders she'd given.

Alighting, fully-sized, in the middle of a forest far away from the castle, she waved her wand and erased the father's memories, which she had put off doing until she'd made the decision. She took a magic bean out of her bag and tossed it on the ground, waiting for the portal to form before waving her wand over the baby, whispering,

"The Land Without Magic." She dropped her in, watching as the portal closed over the sleeping child. "I wish you luck there, Lily."


	4. Hilltop Rendezvous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little oneshot I whacked out tonight. I'd been wanting to write something similar to this sort of setting for a few days, but the third person narrative wasn't planned. Barely proofread, not beta'd in the slightest so I apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy!

" __ _Music expresses that which cannot be said, and on which it is impossible to be silent._ " ~ Victor Hugo

A quiet hilltop. A gentle breeze rustling through the trees of the valley, whipping a lone rider's hair into endless tangles. A flock of moorhens escaping en masse from the danger of the horse's hooves is the only other sign of life on the moor.

The rider slows to a stop, dismounts, and any onlooker with good binoculars can see that she's been crying, for her Latina face is marked with tears and her bottom lip is still trembling. Her ungloved hands run gentle caresses up and down the horse's chestnut face, tracing the star on its forehead, fondling the nostrils before burying her face in its neck and crying again. A case is strapped securely across the bare sweating flank, and eventually the - girl? Woman? She's young, but it's hard to tell from here whether she's eighteen or twenty, or maybe perhaps a little older - unstraps it and takes something out. It's a violin, the bird-watcher catches, his initial reason for lying on the moor on a blazing sunny day forgotten in this new and unusual interest. She tunes it quietly. The wind's in the wrong direction to hear anything. The horse lies down, rolls for a bit, then nuzzles its mistress' stomach as she holds the instrument up to her chin and positions the bow.

The wind changes at that exact moment, and the strains of music are so haunting, so beautiful, that the bird-watcher is suddenly overwhelmed and very aware that he's intruding on a private moment between this woman and herself, but he can't get up and walk away because surely she'd notice him. So he stays, he lowers his binoculars to give her some privacy, he rubs more sun lotion on the back of his neck, and he listens to the music this woman is producing possibly from memory, possibly on the spot, and even in his long experience of waking up to birdsong he's not sure he's heard anything so eerily beautiful.

It's a good while before his ears pick up on it, because it's coming from behind him, but eventually he hears another tune drifting up the hilltop. A woodwind, he thinks. A wooden pipe, he amends as the player gets closer to him, closer to the woman, now standing not six feet from the birdwatcher hiding in the heather, playing a tune that perfectly complements the violin and yet contrasts it too. They're so in tune with each other, though she doesn't seem to be paying attention to anything outside of her own bubble and the wind grows and dies, so it can't be easy for the second player to hear her.

A cautious head up. The second instrument is indeed a wooden pipe, and he recognises the man instantly as one of the resident forest conservationists down in the valley so he wouldn't be surprised if it's handmade. He lives in a tent so, he says, he can move around and reduce his impact, and also so he can get to the whole area he works with more ease. A good man. A good father to his little boy of four. A widower, is the general knowledge, and incredibly young for one, but what happened everyone guesses, and no one knows.

The pipe player gets closer still to the woman, and eventually she does look up, does see him, and the birdwatcher almost misses the radiant smile that lights up her face when she sets eyes on him and her ears pick up on his music. She rises from the heather and they walk steadily towards each other, no mean feat considering both their hands are occupied and the moor's full of rabbit burrows and other trip hazards, until their song ends at precisely the moment they lower their instruments and cling to the other like their lives depended on it. It's not an abrupt ending, well it is, but if the birdwatcher had closed his eyes, if he had resisted the urge to watch the meeting out of sheer curiosity, he would have thought that it was the natural end of the piece. Her face is buried in his shoulder, he's rocking her gently, even the horse has gotten up and turned its back to give them space. But the birdwatcher's transfixed.

They pull back, exchange earnest conversation. The woman starts crying again, and the man kisses each tear away, ending with a peck on her nose that makes her giggle and look up at the forest worker with such adoration that the birdwatcher suddenly realises what he should've known before - this is their system, a private relationship, possibly forbidden, and he's seriously impeaching on their privacy by continuing to watch their rendezvous.

The instruments are gone now, probably lying in the violin case, and the two are kissing, tender caresses full of love that he can't watch any more. Confident now that neither of the two will see him, he packs his books up as quietly as he can and meanders down the hill the way he came, back to his wife. On opening the door he immediately takes her in his arms and kisses her for longer together than all of their kisses in what must be a year. She pulls back, flushed with surprise, and he simply thanks her for the nearly twenty years of happiness, and promises to cherish her more than he has been.

"I'll hold you to that," she quips, pecking his mouth again.


End file.
